Mesothelioma and Asbestos related disease – A ticking time bomb

Mesothelioma is a fatal disease caused by exposure to asbestos dust, when it is disturbed and inhaled. Asbestos is a highly heat resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics. Before it was banned in 1999, many thousands of tonnes of asbestos was used in things such as:

• lagging on plant and pipework
• insulation products such as fireproof panels
• asbestos cement roofing material
• sprayed coatings on structural steel work to insulate against fire and noise

It can be found in all manner of buildings such as schools, factories, offices and can even be found in garage roofs.

Although it has been banned for over 20 years, asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop, hence why it is described as a ticking time bomb. Given how extensively asbestos was used until it was banned, it appears that high rates of mesothelioma are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. In fact, the UK has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world.

Those affected by mesothelioma can include carpenters, plumbers, electricians, decorators, ship builders, construction workers, joiners, cement plant workers, mechanics, laggers and fire fighters, to name a few. Although significantly associated with the construction industry, any occupations in which you come into contact with asbestos can be associated with asbestos-related disease; for example, teachers and nurses have much higher incidence of mesothelioma than the general public, due to asbestos being used in school and hospital buildings. You can also come into contact with asbestos domestically (through washing clothes) or through environment (such as living near factories).

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) release annual figures as to the number of deaths from mesothelioma. They have released the figures for 2021, in which 2,268 people died from the disease.

This reflects a slight decrease in the number of deaths compared to previous years; in the period 2012-2019, there was an average of 2,520 deaths per year, and in 2021, there were 302 fewer deaths than in 2020.

Although the HSE are predicting that the number of people developing asbestos-related illness will fall as we get further from the date asbestos was banned, the number of deaths are still shockingly high.

It is noteworthy that the HSE figures do not include all those who die above the age of 75 and therefore, the number of deaths may actually be much higher.

Also, the HSE statistics only cover mesothelioma but exposure to asbestos can cause a number of illnesses in addition to mesothelioma, including:

• Asbestosis
• Pleural Plaques
• Pleural Effusion
• Pleural Thickening
• Lung Cancer such as COPD

Should you or a loved one be affected by exposure to asbestos prior to the changes to 1999 and suffer from one of the above illnesses, you may be able to bring a claim for compensation. Please do not hesitate to contact our experienced Industrial Disease team on 01482 323697 to discuss how we can help.